Required Report:   Required - Public Distribution                      Date:   October 27, 2021 
                                                                        Report Number:    ID2021-0040 
         
         
        Report Name:  Agricultural Biotechnology Annual 
        Country:   Indonesia 
         Post:   Jakarta 
        Report Category:   Biotechnology and Other New Production Technologies           
         
         
        Prepared By:    Titi Rahayu 
        Approved By:   Rey  Santella 
        Report Highlights:   
        The Government of Indonesia approved regulations for genetically engineered (GE) products, which 
        allows for commercial GE crop cultivation.  In July 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a decree 
        approving the release of a GE potato.  In September 2021, four GE corn events were approved for 
        registration and currently waiting for official release decrees from the Ministry of Agriculture. 
         
                                              
        THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY 
        STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY 
         
        
       EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
        
       The United States exported nearly $1.9 billion of genetically engineered (GE) products to 
       Indonesia in 2020, including Bt cotton, soybeans, and soybean meal, Bt corn, and a variety of 
       food products derived from GE crops and microbes, such as cheese and enzymes.   
        
       The Government of Indonesia’s (GOI) overarching policy on agricultural biotechnology is to 
       accept with a precautionary approach and use science to assess environmental, food, and/or feed 
       safety.  The stated policy is also to take into consideration religion, ethical, socio-cultural, and 
       esthetic norms.  As a result of all these considerations, the GOI has completed regulations of GE 
       products, including biosafety assessments of GE products, GE crops variety release, and 
       monitoring guidelines. 
        
       To date, 20 GE corn, 14 GE soybean, three GE sugarcane, one GE potato, four GE canola , and 
       five GE cotton varieties have undergone risk assessment for either food, feed, or environmental 
       safety.  Of these, a GE sugar cane variety, has undergone all three assessments.  The GE sugar 
       cane developed by state-owned PT Perkebunan Nusantara XI (PTPN XI), is the first GE crop to 
       meet all existing regulatory requirements for public release in Indonesia.  Additionally, in July 
       2021, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) approved the release of the Bio Granola potato.  This 
       GE potato variety is a cross between a granola potato and GE Katahdin potato (event SP951).  Bio 
       Granola completed food and environmental safety assessments and essentially met all biosafety 
       requirements, as it does not require a feed safety assessment since the product is not for animal 
       consumption.  In September 2021, the MOA approved the registration of four varieties of 
       herbicide tolerant GE hybrid corn developed by multi-national companies.  These GE products are 
       waiting MOA authorization for cultivation and commercialization.  The GOI has also approved a 
       GE structuring protein for human consumption, a GE livestock feed additive, and 11 GE animal 
       vaccines for commercialization. 
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                     
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                              TABLE OF CONTENTS 
                                       
                                       
                                       
         CHAPTER 1:  PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY ………………………………………..  4 
            PART A:  Production and Trade ………………………………………………...  4 
            PART B:  Policy …………………………………………………………………..  6 
            PART C: Marketing ……………………………………………………………..  30 
         CHAPTER 2:  ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY ……………………………………...  31 
            PART D: Production and Trade ………………………………………………...  31 
            PART E:  Policy …………………………………………………………………..  31 
            PART F:  Marketing ……………………………………………………………..  32 
         CHAPTER 3:  MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY ………………………………...  32 
            PART G: Production and Trade ………………………………………………...  32 
            PART H: Policy …………………………………………………………………..  33 
            PART I:  Marketing ……………………………………………………………..  35 
          
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                       
                            
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       CHAPTER 1:  PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY 
        
       PART A: PRODUCTION AND TRADE 
       a)  PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: 
         Indonesia continues to develop GE crops, albeit at a moderate pace.  For example, the 
         Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) has completed confined field trials for stem borer-
         resistant rice in four locations and next will submit its environmental safety application to the 
         Ministry of Environmental and Forestry (food and feed safety studies have already been 
         conducted). Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, the submission of environmental safety 
         and food safety applications cannot occur in 2021 as planned.  In addition, LIPI is also 
         researching virus tungro resistant rice, drought tolerant rice, salinity tolerant rice, blast 
         resistant rice, and shelf-life extended cassava.  Currently, these products are still in the growth 
         chamber for efficacy testing. 
          
         The Ministry of Agriculture’s (MOA) Indonesia Center for Agricultural Biotechnology and 
         Genetic Resources (ICABIOGRAD) has conducted confined field trials for virus resistant 
         tomato in four locations.  Currently, they continue to prepare the application for an 
         environmental safety assessment and are finishing the food safety study.  In addition, they are 
         continuing to conduct trials for GE nitrogen efficiency in rice.  The status of their stem borer 
         resistant sugar cane is also in the trial phase.  ICABIOGRAD has also continued researching 
         Bt rice and genome editing for gemini virus resistant chili, greening disease resistant citrus, 
         and low cadmium absorbent rice.  In addition, ICABIOGRAD has collaborated with the 
         Ministry of Health to research genome editing for high-yield Artemisia annua. 
          
         The University of Jember, in collaboration with a state-owned company, is developing a GE, 
         high glucose content sugarcane.  The university has studied environmental and food safety of 
         the GE sugarcane and has completed its confined field trials in four locations.  However, due 
         to budget and human resource constraints, this product may not be ready for 
         commercialization.  Also pending, is the University of Jember’s research on golden rice.  The 
         research on mosaic virus resistant sugar cane, mosaic virus resistant sorghum, high yield rice, 
         and mosaic virus resistant tomato have also been completed, but they are only for scientific 
         publication purposes.  Since last year, the University of Jember has collaboration with 
         Gyomngsang National University (South Korea) to conduct genome editing on sugarcane.  
         Meanwhile, the Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) University has successfully assembled bacterial 
         wilt resistant potato. 
          
         USAID is funding the development of a GE late blight resistant potato.  The potato project is 
         being carried out in a partnership with Michigan State University, the University of 
         Minnesota, University of Idaho, the JR Simplot Company and ICABIOGRAD, and organized 
         under the Feed the Future Biotechnology Partnership Project.  Under the regulated materials 
         transfer agreement between Michigan State University and ICABIOGRAD, the research uses 
         GE Diamant (the variant is originally from Bangladesh), and Granola potato varieties inserted 
         with three virus-resistant genes from wild potato species.    
          
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